QR Code Scanner Online
Convertavo's free QR code scanner reads any QR code or barcode. Scan from your camera, a photo, a screenshot or a PDF. Images are read on your device, and every link is checked before you open it. No app and no signup.
Looking for a code…
The decoder loads the first time you scan
How to scan a QR code online
Scan a QR code from an image, photo or screenshot
- Open the Upload tab. It's the default view on the scanner.
- Add your file. Drop it on the box, click to choose it, or copy an image and press Ctrl+V. Each file can be up to 15 MB.
- Pick what to look for. Leave "Look for" on All codes, or choose QR codes only or Barcodes only.
- Read the result. The content of every code appears in about a second.
You don't need a phone to read a QR code. This is the easiest way to scan a code someone sent you in a chat, an email or a screenshot.
Scan with your camera
Open the Camera tab and allow camera access. Hold the code in front of the lens, and the result appears on the screen.
It's handy on a laptop when the code is on a poster, a parcel or another screen.
Scan a code on your screen
The Screen tab reads a code that's showing in another window. Click Share screen, pick the window or your whole screen, and the scanner looks for a code in it. Nothing is uploaded.
Scan from an image link
Have a link to an image, not a webpage? Paste it into the link box and click Fetch & scan.
Fetching a link only works from our server, so the link is sent to it.
What files can the QR code reader scan?
The scanner reads codes from far more than photos. A code buried in a document or a screen recording isn't lost.
| What you scan | How it's read |
|---|---|
| Photos and images (JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF) | Every code in the picture |
| Screenshots | Paste with Ctrl+V, no saving needed |
| PDF files | Page by page |
| Word, PowerPoint and Excel files | Up to 40 pictures inside the file |
| Short videos | Frame by frame, over the first 2 minutes |
| Live camera | Phone, tablet or laptop webcam |
Each file can be up to 15 MB. Is your photo bigger? Shrink it first with Compress Image. HEIC and TIFF photos work in browsers that can open them. If yours can't, save the photo as JPG first.
Barcode scanner online: QR codes and barcodes together
Barcode scanner reads the QR codes and barcodes on the product, books, and shipping labels. Barcode scanner recognizes EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 128, Code 39, ITF, Data Matrix, PDF417, and Aztec codes.
If the image contains multiple codes, they will be detected and returned separately. For example, if you scan a sheet containing multiple labels, or, for example, a ticket with a QR code and a barcode, they will all be detected and returned.
Inverted codes are detected and returned. When the code is printed in inverted colors, light on dark, the scanner will still reliably detect it. Codes scanned from a mirrored image are also properly detected. If the code is in the image, which is mirrored, for example, reflected in a mirror, the scanner will recognize it.
The text of the code is returned exactly as it was encoded. In case of raw content, the content is returned exactly as it appears in the code.
Is this QR code safe?
A QR code can hide any link. Scammers put them on parking meters, fake invoices and flyers because people can't see where they lead. This trick is called quishing, short for QR code phishing.
Every link the scanner finds is checked before you open it. It's never opened for you. You see the full address and the result of the check first.
Some scam links hide invisible characters, or characters that flip the text direction, to disguise the real address. The scanner flags these and makes them visible.
How to check a scanned link yourself
- Check if the address is in the organisation you expect, and is spelt correctly.
- Be careful of codes stuck over another code or on a sticker that has been added later.
- Never type in a PIN or card number on a page you have got to via an unexpected QR code.
Do you need a QR code scanner app?
No. This scanner runs in your web browser, so there's nothing to install. It works the same on Android, iPhone, tablets and laptops.
- On Android: your camera app can usually scan a code in front of you. Use this page for codes inside screenshots, PDFs and files.
- On iPhone: the Camera app reads codes in front of you too. For a code in a saved image or document, upload it here.
- On a laptop: use the Camera tab with your webcam, or upload a screenshot of the code.
A scanner app also can't check a code buried in an Excel sheet or a video. This one can.
Why can't the scanner find the code in my photo?
Most failed scans come from the photo, not the code. Here's what to try.
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No code found | The photo is blurry or out of focus | Take a sharper photo, closer to the code |
| No code found in a big photo | The code is tiny compared to the picture | Crop the image around the code and try again |
| Only part of the label reads | "Look for" is set to one code type | Switch it back to All codes |
| Still nothing | Glare, shadow or a damaged code | Send the image to our server for a second try |
| File won't upload | The file is over 15 MB | Compress it, or upload a screenshot instead |
| Camera tab shows nothing | Camera access was blocked | Allow the camera in your browser's site settings |
Is Convertavo's QR code scanner free and private?
Yes, it's free, with no signup and no app. The decoder loads the first time you scan.
Photos, screenshots, PDFs and videos are read in your browser, on your own device. An image that's too hard to read only goes to our server if you choose to send it. Pictures from your camera are never uploaded at all.
Two things do reach our server: a Word, PowerPoint or Excel file, so its pictures can be pulled out, and an image link you ask us to fetch. The file is deleted as soon as it's been read. Each link a code contains is also checked by our server, which is how the safety check works. A scanned link is never opened for you.
More QR code and text tools
- Free QR code generator: make your own code with a logo and colours. Static codes never expire.
- Image to Text: copy the words from a photo, not just the code
- PDF OCR: make a scanned PDF searchable
- Compress Image: shrink a large photo before you scan it
Got a QR code in a screenshot, a PDF or right in front of you? Scan it free on Convertavo, and check the link before you open it.
QR code scanner: frequently asked questions
How can I scan QR code from image?
You can drag the image to the scanner, upload a file with the QR code or copy the code and press Ctrl+V. The contents of QR code is displayed in your browser after it have been scanned.
Is it possible to scan a QR code on a laptop without a phone?
There is no problem scanning a QR code on the computer: turn on the webcam in the Camera tab or upload a screenshot or photo of the code — everything works in the browser without any installations.
Does it read barcodes as well as QR codes?
Yes, it can read both barcodes on goods, books, and shipping documents (EAN-13, UPC, Code 128) and QR codes. If there are several codes in the picture, they will all be detected and displayed.
Is it safe to open the link in the QR code?
The QR code scanner checks all the links in the QR code, not opening them up but showing you the address of the page and the scan results. But make sure that the address is the official website you want.
Are my images uploaded somewhere?
None of your photos, screenshots, PDFs or videos are uploaded anywhere. All images are scanned directly in the browser: even those taken with the camera are processed locally and are not transferred.
Why does it not detect the QR code in the photo?
Most often, the problem is in a bad quality photo: the QR code in it may be too small or out of focus. Try to take a photo of a code on a light background, pointing your phone camera directly at the code. If possible, crop the photo to exclude unnecessary areas and make sure that there is a white frame around the QR code.